Automatic image processor

Claim 1

Apparatus for analyzing patterns comprising: generator means for producing a serial stream of digital electrical signals having a plurality of permissible states representing a matrix of points constituting a pattern; a chain of substantially identical serial neighborhood transformation modules, each module having an input for receiving a series stream of digital output signals from the preceding module; neighborhood extraction means including a plurality of series connected digital storage devices for temporarily storing a neighborhood in the matrix comprised of the states of a central data point and its surrounding points in the matrix; means for shifting the signals through the storage devices to sequentially access all of the neighborhoods in the matrix; and digital control means coupled to the storage devices for analyzing each neighborhood as it is presented to the storage devices and providing an output signal to the input of the subsequent module depending upon the analysis, said control means comprising means for storing a neighborhood pattern and means for comparing said stored pattern with the neighborhood stored in the storage devices of the neighborhood extraction means; central programmable means coupled to the control means of each module for selectively altering the analysis of the neighborhood of points in each module by providing the neighborhood patterns to the control means of the modules; the first transformation module having its input coupled to said generator means, and the last module having its output coupled to an output device for utilizing the transformed output matrix.